Not just an actor but a sort of herald of Olympus, Fiona Shaw is one of the world's most electrifying performers.
Editor's Note: For Pride 2026, IrishCentral presents 'Profiles in Pride,' a celebration of inspiring people from Ireland's LGBTQ+ community both past and present.
Just to see Fiona Shaw cross a stage is to feel existence folding in on itself, because where she goes, an audience follows, with a command and focus that can feel almost supernatural.
Best known for her work in films as diverse as "The Butcher Boy" and "Harry Potter", and for turns on TV in hit shows like "Killing Eve" and "Fleabag", she's also one of the most celebrated theatre stars in the world. Her name alone can sell out a Broadway theatre, and her status as an LGBT Irish icon is undisputed.
Fiona Shaw.
At 61, she reflects that her orientation at first displeased her. Speaking to the Big Issue in 2019, Shaw said: “I wasn’t in any way gay until I was. One goes on developing. As a teenager, I was very modest in my romantic life. I had this wonderful boyfriend, then another, then later I became gay. It was a shock. I was full of self-hatred and thought I would come back into the fold shortly. But I just didn’t.”
Shaw is married to the economist Sonali Deraniyagala. Born in Cork, she now lives between London and New York.
Fiona Shaw (RollingNews.ie)
* Originally published in June 2020. Updated in June 2026.
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